Palaeomastodon
| Palaeomastodon | |
|---|---|
| |
| P. beadnelli skull | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Proboscidea |
| Family: | †Palaeomastodontidae |
| Genus: | †Palaeomastodon Andrews , 1901
|
| Type species | |
| †Palaeomastodon beadnelli Andrews, 1901
| |
| Species | |
| |
Palaeomastodon ("ancient mastodon") is an extinct genus within the elephant order
deltaic
environments of what is now Egypt, Ethiopia, Libya, and Saudi Arabia.
Artistic representation by Heinrich Harder
Life reconstruction of Palaeomastodon beadnelli
Artistic representation
Few postcranial remains are known, but based on the reported 875 mm length of one P. beadnelli femur, a recent study estimated an adult shoulder height of about 2.2 metres (7.2 ft) with a mass over 2.5 tonnes (2.8 short tons).[2]
Palaeomastodonts possessed both
anteriorly and were generally flat and scoop-like. They were probably used to scrape the bark off trees and uproot various plants. By contrast, the sharp maxillary tusks primarily functioned as defensive weapons.[3] Unlike later proboscideans belonging to Elephantimorpha, the teeth erupted vertically rather than horizontally, as shared with other "paleomastodonts" like Phiomia.[4]
The form, size, and capabilities of palaeomastodont nasal structures have long been debated. Though often depicted with a relatively small, prehensile proboscis, Osborn 1909 argued that wear patterns on the lower tusks better favored the presence of a large, retractile upper lip.
References
- ^ The genus Palaeomastodon Archived 2008-10-17 at the Wayback Machine
- .
- doi:10.1038/081139a0.
- ISSN 0891-2963.